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ACI, NSF-CHE and HSIsUniversity of Texas, El
PasoApril 23, 2007
NSF Division of Chemistry
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ACI and NSF
ACI America's economic strength and global
leadership depend in large measure on our
Nations ability to generate and harness the
latest in scientific and technological
developments and to apply these developments to
real world applications. These applications are
fueled by scientific research, a strong
education system that equips our workforce with
the skills necessary and an environment that
encourages entrepreneurship, risk taking, and
innovative thinking.
Being broadly inclusive seeking and
accommodating contributions from all sources
while reaching out especially to groups that have
been underrepresented serving scientists,
engineers, educators, students and the public
across the nation and exploring every
opportunity for partnerships, both nationally and
internationally. (NSF Strategic Plan)
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Research pays off for our economy. It leads to
breakthroughs that inspire new products and have
spawned entire industries. In fact, economists
estimate that as much as half of post-World War
II economic growth is due to RD-fueled
technological progress. Todays revolutionary
technologies and many of our most popular
consumer products have roots deep in basic and
applied research. Long before there were
computers or the Internet, scientists were
unlocking the secrets of lasers, semiconductors,
and magnetic materials upon which todays
advanced applications were built.  This
enterprise was fueled in large part by Federal
investment in basic research that was necessary
but not necessarily profitable for the private
sector to undertake over the long term. 
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ACI Research Agencies
500 more grants for NSF in 2007 6,400 additional
scientists, students, post-doctoral fellows,
and technicians to contribute to the innovation
enterprise.
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ACIDoubles, over 10 years, funding for
innovation-enabling research at key Federal
agencies that support high-leverage fields of
physical science and engineering the National
Science Foundation, the Department of Energys
Office of Science, and the National Institute for
Standards and Technology within the Department of
Commerce Modernizes the Research and
Experimentation tax credit by making it permanent
and working with Congress to update its
provisions to encourage additional private sector
investment in innovation Strengthens K-12 math
and science education by enhancing our
understanding of how students learn and applying
that knowledge to train highly qualified
teachers, develop effective curricular materials,
and improve student learning Reforms the
workforce training system to offer training
opportunities to some 800,000 workers annually,
more than tripling the number trained under the
current system Increases our ability to compete
for and retain the best and brightest
high-skilled workers from around the world by
supporting comprehensive immigration reform that
meets the needs of a growing economy, allows
honest workers to provide for their families
while respecting the law, and enhances homeland
security by relieving pressure on the borders.
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• Goals for ACI Research (Selected NSF Relevant)
• While expected new innovations are impossible to
  predict with specificity, certain capabilities
  and technology platforms can be anticipated as a
  result of the ACI
• World-class capability and capacity in
  nanofabrication and nanomanufacturing (NSF, DoE,
  NIST)
• Chemical, biological, optical, and electronic
  materials breakthroughs critical to cutting-edge
  research in nanotechnology, biotechnology,
  alternative energy, and the hydrogen economy
  through essential infrastructure (DoE, NIST, NSF)
• World-leading high-end computing capability (at
  the petascale) and capacity, coupled with
  advanced networking, to enable scientific
  advancement through modeling and simulation at
  unprecedented scale and complexity across a broad
  range of scientific disciplines and important to
  areas such as intelligent manufacturing, accurate
  weather and climate prediction, and design of
  safe and effective pharmaceuticals (NSF, DoE)
• Overcoming technological barriers to the
  practical use of quantum information processing
  to revolutionize fields of secure communications,
  as well as quantum mechanics simulations used in
  physics, chemistry, biology, and materials
  science (DoE, NIST, NSF)
• Overcoming technological barriers to efficient
  and economic use of hydrogen, nuclear, and solar
  energy through new basic research approaches in
  materials science (DoE, NSF, NIST)
• Addressing gaps and needs in cyber security and
  information assurance to protect our IT-dependent
  economy from both deliberate and unintentional
  disruption, and to lead the world in intellectual
  property protection and control (NSF, NIST)
• Improvement of sensor and detection capabilities
  that will result in world-leading automation and
  control technologies with a broad range of
  applications important to areas such as national
  security, health care, energy, and manufacturing
  (NSF)
• Advances in materials science and engineering to
  develop technologies and standards for improving
  structural performance during hazardous events
  such as earthquakes and hurricanes (NIST, NSF)

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American Competitiveness Initiative Education
Training and Recruiting Highly Qualified
Teachers Encouraging Students to Major in STEM
Fields (opportunity for URMs) Research-Based
Teaching Materials and Methods
American Competitiveness Initiative Workforce
Training
A Commitment to Community Colleges
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American Competitiveness Initiative Goals300
grants for schools to implement research-based
mathcurricula and interventions10,000 more
scientists, students, post-doctoral fellows,
andtechnicians provided opportunities to
contribute to theinnovation enterprise100,000
highly qualified math and science teachers
by2015700,000 advanced placement tests passed
by low-incomestudents800,000 workers getting
the skills they need for the jobs ofthe 21st
century
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MPS FY 2008 Focus Areas(Astronomy, Chemistry,
Materials, Mathematics, Physics)

• Physical sciences at the nanoscale
• Science beyond Moores Law
• Physics of the universe
• Complex systems
• Fundamental mathematical and statistical science
• Sustainability
• Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation

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Preparing Workforce of 21st Century
Workforce and Learning Alignment of ACI with
NSF Strategic Goals

• MPS investments in Foundation, Directorate, and
  Division activities support workforce development
  throughout the educational continuum
• Support for young investigators (e.g., CAREER),
• Enhancing educational and career opportunities
  for undergraduate students (e.g., REU, URC),
• Enhancing professional development of K-12
  science educators through research experiences
  (e.g., RET),
• Broadening Participation (e.g., Research
  Partnerships for Diversity).

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ACI Fellows
MPS will pilot an ACI fellows activity that will

• Respond directly to ACI workforce goals of
  increasing number of globally competitive US
  students research scientists in MPS areas,
• Link undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral, and
  early- to mid-career faculty research
  experiences,
• Address ACI-relevant and MPS focus areas,
• Tailored to each disciplines needs strengths.

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TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH

• Enhancing Support of Transformative Research at
  the National Science Foundation adopted by NBS
  on March 29, 2007 (subject to editing)
• There exists a substantial external perception
  that NSF does not support transformative
  research.
• Transformative research is defined as research
  driven by ideas that stand a reasonable chance of
  radically changing our understanding of an
  important existing scientific or engineering
  concept or leading to the creation of a new
  paradigm or field of science or engineering. Such
  research also is characterized by its challenge
  to current understanding or its pathway to new
  frontiers.
• Key Recommendation That NSF develop a distinct,
  Foundation-wide Transformative Research
  Initiative (TRI) distinguishable by its potential
  impact on prevailing paradigms and by the
  potential to create new fields of science, to
  develop new technologies, and to open new
  frontiers.
• MPS will pilot an effort in transformative
  research in FY 2008
• Major focus will be on program and division-level
  activities with coordination at the directorate
  level.

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Status of Ph.D. Women in Chemistry
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Status of Ph.D. URM in Chemistry

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CHE FY06

• January 2006 Gender Equity in Academic
  Chemistry Workshop
• top 50 -gt 55 dept. chairs plus other invitees
• NSF/NIH/DOE funding senior mgmt. presence
• plenaries (incl. Sen. Wyden) data
• interactive skit implicit bias Title IX agency
  programs (e.g., ADVANCE)
• panels/breakouts depts., institutions, funding
  agencies

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FY07 and Beyond

• CHE panel presentation on evaluation bias
• New CHE CRIFMU proposal requirement of
  department plan for broadening participation
• CHE Broadening Participation Plan adopted
  unanimously Nov. 2006
• Study of bias in CHE MRRs with SRS
• Follow-up to Gender Equity Workshop
• Leadership training for chairs at CCR Meeting in
  April 2007
• Workshop on URM in chemistry in September 2007